Holy Scripture
Scripture and Inspiration
49 passages, 4 quoted here · Broad agreement in this library
How the early writers spoke of the Scriptures as words given by God through the prophets and apostles.
Where they stood
Each row is one claim. Each name is a writer, placed at the date of the passage. Select a name to read what they said.
2 of the 4 writers here teach: “The prophetic Spirit published the Scriptures.” They answer a rival view: “Poets and philosophers stand on a level with the prophets.”
teaches it partly rejects it later writer, summary only
Apostolic FathersApostolicBefore NicaeaBefore NicaeaNicaea to ChalcedonNicaea to 451After ChalcedonAfter 451
The prophetic Spirit published the Scriptures2 teach
The apostolic Gospel was handed down in the Scriptures1 teach
Poets and philosophers stand on a level with the prophets1 reject
100 AD200300400500Nicaea 325
What each writer said, earliest first
Long before any of the so‑called philosophers there lived certain men—older, blessed, righteous, and beloved by God—who spoke by the divine Spirit and foretold events that are now occurring; they are called prophets.
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Greek
Τίνι οὖν, φημί, ἔτι τις χρήσαιτο διδασκάλῳ (??) πόθεν ὠφεληθείη τις. εἰ μηδὲ ἐν τούτοις τὸ ἀληθές ἐστιν; Ἐγένοντό τινες πρὸ πολλοῦ χρόνου πάντων τούτων τῶν νομιζομένων φιλοσόφων παλαιότεροι, μακάριοι καὶ δίκαιοι καὶ θεοφιλεῖς, θείῳ πνεύματι λαλήσαντες καὶ τὰ μέλλοντα θεσπίσαντες…
Certain men among the Jews became prophets of God, and through them the prophetic Spirit announced beforehand the things that were going to happen before they came to pass.
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Greek
Ἄνθρωποι οὖν τινες ἐν Ἰουδαίοις γεγένηνται θεοῦ προφῆται, δι᾿ ὧν τὸ προφητικὸν πνεῦμα προεκήρυξε τὰ γενήσεσθαι μέλλοντα πρὶν ἢ γενέσθαι· καὶ τούτων οἱ ἐν Ἰουδαίοις κατὰ καιροὺς γενόμενοι βασιλεῖς τὰς προφητείας, ὡς ἐλέχθησαν ὅτε προεφητεύοντο, τῇ ἰδίᾳ αὐτῶν ἑβραΐδι φωνῇ ἐν…
But the voices of the prophets confirm our thinking—and I assume you, lovers of learning and experts that you are, are not unacquainted with Moses, Isaiah, Jeremiah, or the other prophets.
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Greek
Εἰ μὲν οὖν ταῖς τοιαύταις ἐννοίαις ἀπηρκούμεθα, ἀνθρωπικὸν ἄν τις εἶναι τὸν καθ᾿ ἡμᾶς ἐνόμισε λόγον. Ἐπεὶ δὲ αἱ φωναὶ τῶν προφητῶν πιστοῦσιν ἡμῶν τοὺς λογισμούς (νομίζω καὶ ὑμᾶς, φιλομαθεστάτους καὶ ἐπιστημονεστάτους ὄντας, οὐκ ἀνοήτους γεγονέναι οὔτε τῶν Μωσέως οὔτε τῶν Ἠσαΐου…
Why should I go on listing the countless names and genealogies of such figures? In every respect the writers, poets, and philosophers — and even those who follow them — are deceived.
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Greek
Καὶ τί μοι τὸ λοιπὸν τὸ πλῆθος τῶν τοιούτων ὀνομασιῶν καὶ γενεαλογιῶν καταλέγειν; Ὥστε κατὰ πάντα τρόπον ἐμπαίζονται οἱ συγγραφεῖς πάντες καὶ ποιηταὶ καὶ φιλόσοφοι λεγόμενοι, ἔτι μὴν καὶ οἱ προσέχοντες αὐτοῖς, Μύθους γὰρ μᾶλλον καὶ μωρίας συνέταξαν περὶ τῶν κατ᾿ αὐτοὺς θεῶν· οὐ…
Other passages filed here (45)
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 35c. 100–c. 165 AD
- Justin Martyr, First Apology 44c. 100–c. 165 AD
- Athenagoras, Plea for the Christians 7fl. c. 177 AD
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3.1c. 130–c. 202 AD
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 3.11c. 130–c. 202 AD
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 4.20c. 130–c. 202 AD
- Irenaeus of Lyons, Against Heresies 4.33c. 130–c. 202 AD
- Theophilus of Antioch, To Autolycus 30fl. c. 180 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 10c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 13c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 5.14c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 16c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 18c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 21c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 22c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 7c. 150–c. 215 AD
- Tertullian, Against Marcion 15c. 155–c. 220 AD
- Tertullian, Against Marcion 34c. 155–c. 220 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 10c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 11c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 3c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 4c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 6c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles 8c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, On First Principles Prefacec. 185–c. 254 AD
- Gregory Thaumaturgus, Panegyric to Origen Argument 10.— Hence the Mere Word-Sages are…c. 213–c. 270 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 10c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 36c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 3c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 41c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Origen of Alexandria, Against Celsus 7c. 185–c. 254 AD
- Cyprian of Carthage, Treatises Treatise 1c. 200–258 AD
- Cyprian of Carthage, Treatises Treatise 3c. 200–258 AD
- Cyprian of Carthage, Treatises Treatise 4c. 200–258 AD
- Cyprian of Carthage, Treatises Treatise 8c. 200–258 AD
- Hippolytus, Arabic Catena Fragments on the Pentateuch (attributed) Prefacec. 170–c. 235 AD
- Hippolytus, Commentary on Daniel Preface (fragments)c. 170–c. 235 AD
- Hippolytus, Fragments on Genesisc. 170–c. 235 AD
- Hippolytus, On the Psalms (attributed) 1c. 170–c. 235 AD
- Novatian, On the Trinity 19fl. c. 250 AD
- Novatian, On the Trinity 28fl. c. 250 AD
- Methodius of Olympus, Fragments Part 3d. c. 311 AD
- Alexander of Alexandria, On Free Will / related 1. To Alexander, Bishop of the City of…d. 328 AD
- Alexander of Alexandria, On Free Will / related 2. Epistle Catholicd. 328 AD
- Arnobius, Against the Nations (Book I)fl. c. 300 AD